


He's Just a Friend

by imjustpeachy



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, F/M, Romance, haha whats plot, idk what im doing, just the whole cast
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-17 18:30:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14195094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imjustpeachy/pseuds/imjustpeachy
Summary: Adrien doesn't realize how much he enjoys Marinette's presence until it's gone.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> theyre probs like 16/17
> 
> i also do not know what im doing so haha whoops
> 
> send help :)

“Hey, Nino, why does my chest hurt?” Adrien asked, his cheek leaning on his hand as he stared listlessly at his over-steamed vegetables. He poked the soggy greens around his plate with a plastic fork, an involuntary frown on his face. 

“I don’t know. You should probably get that checked,” Nino said distractedly, his phone directly in front of his face as he scrolled through something. Adrien, sitting in front of Nino, caught glimpses of Ladybug images reflecting off his glasses lens. Probably proofreading Alya’s next post on the Ladyblog, Adrien presumed. Nino took another large bite of his sandwich and gulped, wincing when he swallowed a large chunk. “Acid reflux?” he asked after pounding his chest with his fist and coughing.

“No,” he sighed, dropping his fork and pushing away the tray towards Nino. (“I’m not eating that shit, bro,” Nino said.) He slumped forward, resting his head on his arms. He turned his head sideways and saw Marinette and Alya hanging out with a group of girls. He heard Marinette’s laugh over all the other girls’ laughter and wondered why.

Adrian sighed again, his frown deepening and turning his head the other way.

Nino stared at him and finally placed down his phone and sandwich. He pat Adrien’s shoulder, but he didn’t budge. “Hey, what’s on your mind?”

“Mmf.” Adrien moved to scratch his forehead against his short sleeve and then returned to his lifeless state. Nino saw his shoulders rise from a deep inhale and heard his quick exhale. 

“ _Okaaaay_ ,” Nino said, clasping his hands together and bobbing his knee in place. “You’re being pouty. Tell me why.” When Adrien didn’t react, Nino kicked him under the table. “Hey.”

“I miss her,” Adrien mumbled, lifting his head and leaning his chin against his forearms. He blew at the wisps of hair that poked his face. “Marinette’s suddenly gone!” For the umpteenth time, he exhaled loudly, adding a distressed groan at the end.

Nino grinned. “What do you mean? We hung out with the girls last weekend at the music festival.”

“That was last weekend.”

“You still see her at class, you know,” Nino reasoned, raising a brow. 

“But she’s not talking to me.”

“We’re in class. We’re not supposed to be talking.”

“You know what I mean, Nino,” Adrien said, losing his patience.

Nino raised his arms in surrender, biting back a grin. “Okay, dude, I’m sorry.” He shook his head and chuckled. 

“This is serious, Nino!” Adrien exclaimed, sitting up swiftly and threw his arms in the air in frustration, catching the attention of a few other nearby students. He murmured an apology and lowered his arms. At Nino’s unamused look, Adrien continued, “Marinette used to always talk to me after class. But then this _Luka dude_ shows up---don’t get me wrong, Luka’s cool---but now Marinette leaves the room without even saying bye to me. Boom.” He snapped his fingers. “Just like that. Gone. Nonexistent.” Adrien leaned his chin on his propped elbow and tapped his cheeks rhythmically with his fingers, staring at nothing. 

“She’s right there--”

“That’s _not what I mean_ , Nino,” Adrien groaned. 

:.....:

Right as the bell rang, indicating the end of the school day, Marinette rushed to pack her things in her small bag, miserably failing to place her materials in her usual neat order of largest to smallest. When one folder refused to fit in her bag, Marinette all but punched the folder in, bending all of its contents within. She whispered a small curse and apology when Tikki squeaked in surprise. 

“Woah, you headed somewhere?” Alya asked with a knowing grin, taking her time to pack her bag. 

Marinette’s cheeks flushed as she laughed nervously. “You know it,” she said through her excited nerves. She slipped on her bag and waved to Alya. “I’ll see you later!” 

“Wait, Marin--”

But Marinette was already out the door, leaving Adrien by her desk with Nino giving him a comforting pat on the shoulder.

“Sorry, Sunshine,” Alya said gently with an apologetic grin. She slung her bag onto her shoulder and stepped closer to Nino. “She’s going to meet Luka at the music shop to look at some Jagged Stone merch.” Then she nudged her shoulder harshly against Nino’s forearm, eliciting a sharp _“Ow!”_ from him. “Didja read my article?” Her voice had that thrilled, teasing tone to it, and her eyes glinted with anticipation. 

“Yeah, babe. It was good,” he murmured, rubbing the sore spot. “God woman, you had to shove me on my shot arm!”

“It was _not_ a shove!” she argued. “And you got that shot _three days ago_ ,” she added. 

“It still hurts!”

“You’re just weak.” 

They stared each other down, and the silence that followed their bantering prompted the two to look at each other in question. Something was missing. Usually, Adrien or Marinette would be laughing at their bickering, but there was nothing. Just . . . the quiet murmur of other people’s conversations and interactions.

Nino turned to Adrian and gently nudged him. “Hey, you alright, man?” he asked him.

Adrien was leaning against Marinette and Alya’s desk, arms crossed and lips turned downward as he thought hard. “Yeah,” he mumbled halfheartedly. 

Nino and Alya glanced at each other and then back at him. Suddenly, Adrien exited the room, without even saying goodbye like he once did. 

:.....:

Marinette was exhilarated. She got to hang out with Luka again! She hadn’t seen him in years, ever since he left to attend a program overseas. They had promised to send emails every night at the airport four years ago, but their exchanges had only lasted a few months. Eventually, due to Luka’s rigorous program and Marinette’s school work (along with her Ladybug duties), their nightly email exchange dwindled down to once a year.

But now that Luka came back, they could hang out every day like they used to. Marinette grinned widely at the thought. _I probably look like a freak, smiling by myself,_ she thought, giggling to herself. _Ah well. I haven’t been able to hang out with him since the festival._

“Marinette!” she heard someone call. She turned around and saw Luka leaning against a lamppost with one hand in the pocket of his black distressed jeans and the other raised up in a wave. 

She approached him in that awkward shuffling state between running and walking. “Luka!” she shouted, opening her arms in a welcoming hug. “I missed you, ya big oaf,” she said, wrapping her arms around his middle and leaning her head against his chest as if this was a routine. And it was.

He laughed, hugging her back. “I just came over for dinner last Sunday,” he reminded, pulling back and staring at her. “I’m going to ask you one more time: you sure you don’t want a badass blue ombre? I guarantee you it’ll look good,” he commented as he ran his fingers through one of her pigtails. 

“Mmmm, nah. My mom would probably kill me,” she said, leading them towards the music shop.

“Yeah, Sabine would totally do that,” he agreed, following closely behind her. “At least get rid of the pigtails. You look like you’re nine.” He carefully grabbed a pigtail and ruffled the strands between his fingers. It was soft like he remembered. Softer than Juleka's. 

“If I look nine, you look like some pedophile following me around with your piercings and shady clothes,” she said with no hesitation, leaning her head away from his grasp and looking over her shoulder. She jerked her chin towards his blue flannel shirt and faded Jagged Stone undershirt, her eyes lingering on his earrings, but she turned forward and continued to walk. “Not gonna lie, your piercings do look cool,” she mumbled, glad he was several feet behind her.

“Touche,” he said to her earlier comment, taking large steps to walk beside her. And like the gentleman he was raised to be, he nudged Marinette to the side of the sidewalk farthest from the road, oblivious to the pair of green eyes hiding behind the darkened windows of the sleek limo the two had walked past.


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i still dont know what im doing

“You're going to hang out with Luka again?” Alya asked, stopping in her tracks in an empty hallway. Alya’s loose grip on the strap of her bag tightened. 

Marinette jumped in front of her with a panicked, apologetic look, grasping Alya’s wrists. Alya tugged her hands away from Marinette’s grip gently, making her frown. She rushed to explain, “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But I promised Luka--”

“Girl, we already had something planned before Luka was even here.”

“Yeah, before Luka was even here,” Marinette repeated, words tumbling out faster than she could think, “which is why I kinda might need to go with Luka! You know, to compensate for the years we were separated.” 

Alya did not look amused. She began to walk around Marinette with a pissed look, but Marinette jumped in front of her, determined. Alya sighed, motioning for her to continue, but she stubbornly kept her gaze off of Marinette and stared at something beyond her head, like the trashcan. _Like Marinette at the moment_ , Alya thought sourly. 

“Look, Luka is new around here--"

“He's been here for almost a _week_ ,” Alya corrected impatiently, her glare snapping back to Marinette in incredulity. 

“--so I want to show him around a bit and maybe hang out or watch a movie like old times,” she finished, moving her hands and lamenting with a far away look in her eyes.

“Like old times?” Alya asked, getting angry. 

Marinette failed to notice her anger. “Yep! Just like old times.” She sighed dreamily.

“I don't know about you,” Alya started with an angrily calm voice, “but ‘old times’ were just me, you, Nino, and Adrien. Girl, it’s pretty clear which _past_ you’re happiest with. See you on Monday.”

Alya stormed passed Marinette, leaving her alone in the empty halls, confused and ashamed. 

:..:

“So we still up for ice cream and the park on Saturday?” Nino asked as Alya approached. He was waiting by the steps with Adrien, leaning against a pillar while Adrien patiently stood. (Nino told him to sit down, but Adrien told him he was used to it, standing for hours on sore feet and an aching back. “Modeling,” he said.) 

Alya arrived without a Marinette, which slightly worried Adrien, and his concern was only confirmed when he saw the wrinkle between her brows and the fire in her eyes. He visibly deflated. A fight. 

“I don't know anymore,” she replied tiredly, dropping roughly onto the steps with an audible thud. She rested her forehead against her knees in exhaustion. Adrien saw her shoulders droop from a sigh. “Marinette’s being really difficult right now. She cancelled on us.”

“Seriously?” Nino asked, pushing himself off the pillar to sit on the steps, next to his girlfriend. 

She turned her head to the side and pursed her lips, glaring at him. _Oh no_ , Adrien thought. “No, I was just _kidding_. Of _course_ Marinette is coming along! It's not like she _abandoned_ us again!” she shouted sarcastically, gesturing exaggeratedly. 

Nino bowed his head, a silent apology, and Adrien sympathetically stared at him. No one wanted to be on Alya’s bad side. Ever. The three sat in an uncomfortable silence, Adrien watching as other students filtered out of the school, chatting loudly, laughing carelessly, and bumping shoulders teasingly. 

_That was us once upon a time. How long has it been?_

“. . . Sorry,” Alya whispered, “I'm just--this is the third time Marinette ditched us. I miss my girl, you feel?”

Adrien nodded, wistfully sighing. “Yeah, I totally understand how you feel, with my father and all that.”

Alya’s fists clenched on the peaks of her kneecaps, knuckles white. “This isn't right. Marinette left us, and she knows how much of a dick your father is, and she just leaves like she _doesn't care_.” Alya stood to her full height, her head raised high. She began trekking back towards the school, mumbling incoherent words. 

“Alya--" Nino started, starting to worry. He stood up and followed Alya, careful to put some distance between the two unless he wanted a black eye. 

But Alya was unstoppable. She was full-on marching towards the front doors, prepared. “I'm going to talk to some sense--"

“ALYAAA!” A distant cry tore said girl’s attention, as well as the boy’s, to the source. 

Alya’s eyes hardened, watching as Marinette emerged from the school, running. “Marinette, I have--"

“I'm so sorry! I was being really dumb and selfish and stupid. I’m coming on Saturday. I told Luka I couldn't make it so I could hang out with you guys,” Marinette said in a slightly winded voice despite running through the school. She stopped a few yards in front of Alya, knowing that coming too close after a small argument would be too much.

Alya attempted to stay mad, but a grin began to creep up her face, making Adrien smile. He hated fights. He experienced them too often with his father over the littlest detail, whether it be a schedule error or an addition to his overwhelming extracurricular activities. He shook his head, ridding his mind of the bitter memories.

“But . . . ,” Marinette said, shuffling her feet nervously, knowing Alya might get mad.

Alya’s grin dropped abruptly, her face going lax and her eyes going blank.

“You see,” Marinette began before her best friend could yell profanities at her, “Luka wants to get to know all of you, so he asked me if he could join us.”

“No--"

“Of course he can!” Adrien interjected, stopping Alya by raising his arm. “Listen, Marinette’s friends are our friends, too. Okay?” He looked at Alya and Nino for approval. “Okay.” He nodded without waiting for their response, smiling. 

“I don’t know,” Nino trailed off, scratching at his growing stubble with his finger, his other hand twirling the cord of his headphones nervously, a nervous habit Alya loved. He averted his eyes from his friends’ gaze. “Luka’s really cool, and I love his music, but I kind of miss the old times. The Core Four, you know?”

Adrien hummed as he pondered Nino’s argument. “I understand that. But Luka’s enrolling soon, right? He’s not in school yet, so I think it’s better if he acquaints himself with us so he’s not totally alone. Besides, it’s a great opportunity to get to know him better, to form a stronger bond with him.”

At Adrien’s reasoning, Marinette smiled widely, her blue eyes softening. “Thanks, Adrien. That’s really thoughtful of you. I really, really appreciate this,” she said softly. In the background, he heard Alya scoff.

Adrien’s smile broadened, his chest fluttering at the compliment. “Thanks, Marinette. You’re great too, you know.” He felt proud when he saw her fidget in her spot, her shoulders rising and her cheeks reddening. She shyly avoided his eyes and toyed with a pigtail. She was absolutely, endearingly beautiful. 

_What's wrong with me?_

:..:

It was a perfect fall afternoon, the chatter of roaming adolescents and the bustling of vehicles filling the air with activity. The sun was still hanging overhead, spreading its warmth to everything its rays touched. The early fall weather refreshed wanderers with a warm, ephemeral breeze, offering people one last chance to enjoy the last remnants of summer before the cruelty of winter crept near. It truly was perfect. 

Except for the akuma, which just appeared. He was standing on a civilian’s roof, chest puffed out as he addressed passersby.

“I am--!”

“No one cares!” Ladybug shouted as she landed on a rooftop, swinging her yoyo with all her anger. “I have somewhere to be, so if you'd please _cease existing_ ,” she mumbled, scanning the akuma for any item that stood out to her. _Come on, come on, come on, I’m already late_ , she thought, eyes flickering everywhere, almost making her dizzy.

“This wind may blow me away with its strong, brutal force--”

Ladybug sighed. “The wind isn’t even--” 

“--but truly the only thing that blows me away is your beauty, My Lady,” Chat Noir proclaimed as an introduction, appearing by her left side, opposite from her swinging, magical weapon. He bowed lowly, facing Ladybug like a knight to his queen.

“You there! Listen to me! I am Vegeterminator! I will protect all animals from the cruelty of the meat industry!” the man clad in a green vegetable bodysuit exclaimed with his hands on his hips. He threw his head back and cackled evilly. 

“Technically not all animals,” Chat corrected, standing to his full height and reaching behind him to withdraw his staff. He extended it and casually leaned on it, placing his other hand on his hip. He tapped his clawed fingers against his hips.

“Don't provoke him,” Ladybug hissed, elbowing him. He didn’t flinch. Ladybug rolled her eyes. He once claimed he was immune to her jabs. (He wasn’t.) 

“You're not protecting the fishies,” Chat said with an easy grin.

“And neither are you, kitty cat,” Vegeterminator said. He lifted his arm, preparing for an attack. Ladybug and Chat Noir bent their knees, anticipating something. “Don't you feed on fish?” Vegeterminator leaned his head in a poor attempt to taunt him. 

“In moderation, of course,” he said nonchalantly, springing into action.

“Wait, Chat, no! We don’t know what his attack--” Ladybug started, but Chat Noir already leaped away. “Ughh!” she groaned, swinging after him.

“Prepare for doom! My friends will feed on you, just as you disgusting animals feed on them! Friends, heed me!” Vegeterminator raised his arm and summoned all kinds of farm animals: chickens, cows, pig, sheep. The animals stormed through the streets below, overturning cars and raiding through street kiosks.

“What the . . . ,” Ladybug whispered, watching as the farm animals stood on their hind legs and began swallowing people whole. (It was quite a sight to see a small chicken consume a fully grown adult.) She shook her head and rubbed her temples, ready to get this over. “I’m 100% done with this,” she grumbled, latching her yoyo onto a chimney and swinging forward. She and Chat quickly fell into routine. 

:..:

“I’m so so sorry I’m late,” Adrien heard Marinette say, watching as she came out of nowhere and collapsed on the grass in front of the bench the three were occupying. Nino and Alya stared at her, unfazed, and continued licking away at their ice creams, resuming their previous conversation. 

Adrien saw her lips tug downward as Alya said nothing to her, and she carefully kept her distance from Alya. Marinette lied on her back, her arms outstretched above her and her legs extended. Unable to control his eyes as Marinette stretched, he stared at the sliver of skin between her top and jean bottoms.

“It’s not a big deal,” Adrien said, sliding off the bench to sit beside Marinette on the grass and averting his eyes from her exposed skin. “We got you ice cream.” _Dammit, stop staring_. He leaned his head back and stared at the sky, trying to make figures out of the puffy clouds. 

“Thanks.” Marinette shyly smiled at him, her grin appearing upside down, given his position beside her. He was about to give her her cone as she outstretched her hand but Marinette squeaked in surprise, her arm retracting. 

A shoe nudged quite roughly into her side. 

“Pull down your shirt and cover your shoulders. You’ll turn people on,” Luka teased, leaning over her body, blocking the warm sunlight from her face. 

“Shut up, Luka,” she groaned. Nonetheless, she tugged down her top and tucked the front under her shorts. "Move, you're blocking the sunlight."

“Hey guys,” he said, ignoring her as he nodded to Nino, Alya, and Adrien.

“Hey,” they all said, acknowledging him. Alya, still bitter, gave him a cursory nod and continued to fidget with her phone, Nino watching over her shoulder. 

Luka extended his hand towards Marinette, which she took, and pulled her up, staggering forward from her unexpected weight. “Did you gain weight? I swear you were lighter last time,” he said, smiling teasingly.

Marinette blushed red, clutching her midsection. “Luka,” she hissed, glancing at Adrien. Even though she knew he was teasing, she self-consciously looked away for something more pleasing to look at and deemed Adrien as a safe option. She smiled weakly at the blond, who grinned back. 

Adrien stood up and offered her the ice cream he bought for her, but she refused. Luka noticed and frowned.

“I was just kidding, you know,” he softly said to Marinette, leaning over her shoulder to look closely at her face. Marinette turned away from him, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, I know.”

“You’re mad at me.”

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. I know when you’re mad at me: you respond to me with short answers and refuse to look at me.” Luka took the cone from Adrien, hurriedly saying a thanks, and side-stepped so he was facing Marinette. “I’m sorry. Go eat.” He held out the cone to her. 

“You called me fat,” she said, not taking it. 

“False.”

“I’m not hun--”

Luka pressed the cone forward into her nose and mouth, snorting in laughter when Marinette sputtered. The two quickly dissolved in friendly but rough pushing and laughter. Marinette lunged for the hem of his shirt, Luka dodging unsuccessfully. He loudly protested between his laughter when Marinette wiped her face. Luka pushed her away violently, making her giggle as she stumbled and fell onto the grass. 

Adrien watched the exchange with a bittersweet smile, his chest aching. Before, he was the one to make Marinette laugh like that. The two had grown closer over the years, Marinette overcoming her blushing and Adrien his awkwardness. By passing that threshold, the two unlocked a new level of friendship, joking and light physical contact. They were mostly comfortable in each other's presence, Marinette still hesitant to ugly laugh around him. But nonetheless, the two were still close. 

But now, Marinette was distracted. An old flame of friendship reignited, and Adrien’s flame only grew weaker every passing week as the other fire consumed everything in its path. If he didn’t take initiative soon, the connection between him and Marinette would be lost.

And if Adrien was certain about anything, it was his relationship with Marinette. He would do anything to keep this relationship with his close friend alive. And he knew exactly how to do that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no intentions of offending anyone, regarding the akuma (i just lack creativity imsorry)


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari and Alya make up because that’s what friends do, and Chat Noir and Luka have a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tfw ppl think its brotp lukanette  
> Also thank u so much for the comments!! Reading them makes me panic, but in a good way. I dont know how to respond to comments whoops. i swear i read them though

When Adrien got home at around seven (he was surprised that his father had even let him out for that long), he quietly ate dinner by himself and headed to his room, where he flopped onto his couch and groaned into the cushions.

Plagg flew out of his pocket and said, “I need cheese.”

Adrien sighed, unmoving. “You know where to get it.” As Plagg hovered to his hidden stack of cheese, humming his Camembert song, Adrien pushed himself to sit up and drew his knees to his chest, debating with himself. “Hey, Plagg?” he finally asked.

Said kwami hummed and turned to his chosen, his cheeks stuffed with cheese. 

“You think you can transform me tonight?”

:..:

That night, Marinette fell onto her chaise, pulling out her phone from her pocket and staring at her wallpaper: she and Alya posing next to each other, cheeks squished together and arms around each other’s waists. She exhaled slowly.

Tikki flew out of Marinette’s small bag and gave her a worried glance. All throughout Friday, Marinette wasn’t acting her usual bright and happy self. Instead, she moped around, blasting Jagged Stone as she wordlessly completed her homework with focus. Marinette _never_ finished her homework without getting distracted at least five times, Tikki noticed. 

When her phone lit up, Marinette startled and fumbled to pick up. Tikki gave her chosen some privacy and sat on the shelf beside Marinette’s bed. “Alya, hey!”

_“Hey, Mari . . .”_

Marinette frowned at Alya’s distressed tone, thinking they had gone past the semi-awkwardness from their disagreement. “Alya,” she said on a serious note, “I’m sorry for before. I was being selfish and inconsiderate.”

_“Yeah, you were,”_ she said, making Marinette grin. _“But I’m also sorry for being so bitter. I should’ve gotten over it. You just wanted to spend time with a friend. An earlier friend.”_

Marinette pouted. “Still, I’m sorry. I should learn to balance my time with both of my best friends.” She hoped the term best friend reassured Alya.

Alya was quiet for a bit. _“Mm, that makes sense. I guess I’m just--I missed you. I felt left out.”_

Marinette felt her eyes prick. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, pressing the heel of her palm to her eye as she wiped away the unshed tears. “I’m such a bad friend.”

_“No, you’re not!”_ Alya rushed to comfort her, hearing Marinette’s tears in her choked voice. 

"Yes I am," Marinette choked out.

_"No. You're not. You made a mistake and now you’re learning from it. It’s all an experience. Hell, I’m learning to let you go for a bit. We can’t do_ everything _together.”_

Marinette calmed down a bit, bending her knee as she lied down. “Yeah, that’s very true,” she agreed. She draped her arm across her forehead and stared up at her trapdoor, seeing movement. She wrinkled her brow. “Hey, Al. I’m a bit tired--”

_“Okay, got it, girl. Say no more. Get your beauty sleep.”_

“Love you,” she said, hopefully.

_“. . . Love you too, girl.”_

Marinette hung up and stood, dropping her phone onto her chaise and climbing up her ladder. She pushed open the trapdoor and peered out, seeing Chat Noir leaning against the balcony railing, facing her.

“And to what do I owe this pleasure?” Marinette asked with a silly grin, pulling herself up onto her balcony.

Chat approached her with a smirk, pulling out a flower behind him. “A beautiful carnation for a beautiful girl,” he said, bowing and extending the pastel blue flower towards her. Marinette did not take it, but Chat still remained bowed.

“Are those my peonies?” she blatantly asked, unfazed by his flirtatiousness. At her comment, Chat straightened and stared at the flower, confused.

“This is a peony? I thought this was a carnation,” he mumbled, bewildered. He twirled the flower by its stem, scrutinizing it at every angle.

As if his flirty greeting didn’t exist, Marinette walked past him and stared at her pot of buds. “You cut my peonies!” she whined, stamping her feet lightly. “C’mon Chat, I was waiting for them to bloom together.”

Chat carefully placed the peony back in its spot, restoring color in the pot of green leaves and budding stems. “I’m sorry,” he said, his cat ears flattening atop his head and his lips tugging downward. “I didn’t know.”

She sighed, tired, and shook her head. “It’s fine. I’ll just . . .” She had no excuse to comfort him. “It’s fine,” she repeated.

Despite her mollification, Chat still looked guilty. “Sorry. I was trying to look cool in front of you.”

Marinette snorted at that, which made him shrink further into himself in embarrassment. She quickly noticed this and waved her arms in panic. “Nonono, I wasn’t mocking you. I was just--uh, I--uh--I was surprised. Yes! Surprised. Like, why me? _Whaaat? Me?_ ” she stammered, her voice rising higher as she progressed through her sentence.

Chat grinned, allowing Marinette to internally sigh in relief. “Because you’re Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the bravest girl I know.” 

Marinette stared at him. 

“Besides Ladybug, of course!” he rushed to say. _Okay, ouch,_ she thought. “I mean, you’re the second coolest girl I know. You’re still cool, though. Totally badass. Almost on the same level as LB, maybe even the same level!”

Marinette interrupted his rambling with a light shake of her head. Chat awkwardly stood there in silence, fiddling with his thumbs. “It’s okay, Chat Noir.” She leaned her elbows on the railing and looked out onto the city, the lights from people’s houses emitting a golden hue in the night. “What are you here for?” she asked quietly, knowing he’d pick up her voice. 

She felt his warmth before she could see him lean on the railing beside her. “Just dropping by,” he answered, also staring out at the streets below. The silence between each other was comfortable, peaceful. Like they were close.

“Thanks,” she murmured after awhile.

“For what?”

“I was feeling a bit down before your visit.”

He hummed and turned to look at her. She was still facing the city, the lights illuminating her face and highlighting her beautiful features like her cheekbones and long lashes. Chat, realizing he was staring, turned back to the city and asked carefully, “A fight?” He cleared his throat as his voice cracked.

She lowered her head to lean her chin against her propped arm. “Yeah.”

“Well, I’m glad I stopped by at the right time.” He gently bumped her with his shoulders.

“Me too,” she whispered, bumping him back. A cool breeze rustled her hair. “Wanna come in? It’s getting chilly.” She pushed herself against the railing so she stood fully, jerking her thumb towards her trapdoor.

“Princess, it’s only mid-fall. It’s not that chilly,” he teased, but nonetheless, he followed Marinette to her trapdoor. She jumped down, and he was about to follow when he heard--

“Luka?!”

 

For the first few days after Luka returned, the Dupain-Chengs were gracious enough to invite the Couffaines to dinners on the weekends, though Juleka and his mother never came, Juleka claiming she had previous engagements involving Rose and his mother busy working. Although his sister and mother couldn’t make the dinners, Luka did; he even built his schedule around it.

Tonight was no different. 

After hanging out with Marinette’s friends, who were now almost his friends, too, Luka headed home to cook Juleka dinner and then changed into something semi-casual: a form-fitting long sleeve and comfortable khakis, compared to his usual dress shirt and ripped jeans. 

When he walked through the front doors of the bakery, smells and hazy memories associated with them flooded his head. He inhaled deeply and exhaled, shooting Tom and Sabine a polite smile.

“Good evening, Tom, Sabine,” he greeted, bowing his head to them. 

Tom exited from behind the counter with his wife following and engulfed the teen in a tight hug, Tom’s deep laugh and Sabine’s giggles making him grin. With Luka’s face pressed against Tom’s broad chest, Luka breathed, embracing the smell of pastries and flour. 

“Welcome back, Lukie boy!” Tom said, dropping Luka onto his feet. 

“You can go on upstairs, Luka. We’re almost finished closing,” Sabine said, her crow’s feet crinkling as she smiled.

“Let me help,” he offered, pulling up his sleeves to his elbows. “That way we can eat together.”

Sabine slapped her husband’s stomach (he didn’t even flinch, given his large size), covering her smile with her hand. “Ooh, what a gentleman.”

“Anarka has raised her son very well,” Tom said, squeezing Luka’s shoulders. “Alright, alright. Wipe down the display cases, please. And then get Marinette. She’s on dinner duty tonight.”

The two adults chuckled when Luka gasped in excitement. 

“Yep, it’s Mari’s turn to cook! So get to work!” Teasingly, Sabine whipped her towel at Luka’s ass, making him laugh.

 

“Mari?” Luka called. No response. He climbed up to Marinette’s room but couldn’t find her sitting on her desk or chaise. 

“Marinette?” he repeated, wandering around her room, stepping over fallen homework papers, fabric, and yarn. He climbed up her bed, falling comfortably on the mattress with his arms behind his head. He closed his eyes. Maybe she’d randomly appear if he waited patiently.

He didn’t expect Marinette to actually appear. 

“Luka?!” She squawked as she fell on top of him, the abrupt weight on his stomach making him wheeze. He shoved her off, shielding his face as she grabbed the pillow he was on and whacked him. 

“Ow, what the hell?” he grumbled, crawling to the opposite corner of her bed. “Chill.” He looked up and saw Chat Noir peering into her room from above. They stared silently at each other, registering what they were seeing. Then, Luka slowly grinned, making Marinette’s face pale. “Oh?” He glanced at her.

She hid her face in her palms, her ears reddening. “Ugh, I hate you.”

“What’s this?” Luka asked, feigning innocence. “Our precious Mari has a late-night visitor?”

Unexpectedly, Chat Noir blushed, fiercely shaking his head. “No, it was just for tonight, I swear.”

Luka laughed, extending his hand. “I’m just kidding, relax. It’s nice to properly meet you, Chat Noir.”

Chat dropped down from the trapdoor, careful of his boots. “You too, Luka.”

“You know me?” Luka leaned his head to the side, blinking. 

“Um! I mean, yeah, uh, your mother was the akuma last week, right? I have to know akuma’s relatives so I can ensure their family’s safety,” he swiftly lied, scratching the back of his head. Marinette turned to him with a curious look; he ignored her.

Luka nodded, humming. “That makes sense.”

“Luka, why are you here,” Marinette groaned, interrupting their short conversation. 

“It’s Saturday, remember? You’re on cooking duty, by the way,” he replied, nudging her knees with his socked feet. She slapped them away. “Go cook, I’m hungry. Feed me.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and then faced Chat. “I’m sorry. I forgot I’m on cooking duty tonight.”

Chat Noir shook his head. “It’s okay. I can come back tomorrow--I mean! Later. Eventually. Not tomorrow.”

Luka laughed. Marinette smacked her forehead. Chat groaned. “Alright. I’m heading downstairs. You can stay if you want to, Chat. I’ll see if I can sneak you anything.” With that, she slid down the ladder, leaving the two males on her bed. 

Chat shifted, unaware of his boots on the sheets. 

“Careful, Mari’s gonna kill you if you stain her blanket,” Luka warned, shuffling to get comfortable again. He leaned on her giant cat pillow, extending his body fully, but his feet stuck out of the loft. He closed his eyes and bobbed his head to a song stuck in his head. He didn’t mind Chat’s presence at all.

Meanwhile, Chat removed his feet from the bed and coughed, awkward. “So,” he started. “How do you know Marinette?” _This is a safe topic to talk about_ , Adrien thought. 

Luka popped open an eye and then sighed, staring up at her ceiling, where she taped pictures of friends and family. “We were really close when we were young. My mom and her parents are friends and helped us after my father left.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Chat muttered, sympathizing with him. 

“Nah, it’s all good,” he replied. 

"Do you . . . need to talk about it?" he awkwardly offered.

Luka chuckled and shrugged. “Mari was a lot of help through the whole divorce process. The day that bastard left, I started guitar, and she was always so supportive of me. If I had a recital, she’d come. If I had practice, she’d wait for me. If I ever felt alone, she’d be there by my side.

“When I used to attend school here, she would bring us sweets before class and eat with us during lunch break. Mom worked overtime quite a lot, so she invited Juleka and I for dinner and played video games with us until Mom came home. Whenever she had spare time, she'd spend it with us. 

“I think she was just trying her best to make me--us feel better. Some days, she looked so distracted or upset, but she never brought her problems up when she was with me. She was always there for me, never putting herself first.” 

Luka rolled onto his side, staring at the shelf of books, small dolls of Ladybug and Chat Noir (he noticed the Chat Noir plushies were always larger than the Ladybug ones), and even more pictures, but this time in frames. _Since when did she get this red doll? _he thought, noticing Tikki. He shrugged it off and stared at the picture of Marinette in between Juleka and him when they were about ten or eleven.__

__“She’s just . . . a miracle,” he muttered._ _

__“That sounds like her,” Chat agreed, slipping by accident._ _

__Luka’s eyes flickered to him. “You know her personally, too?”_ _

__Chat’s eyes widened as he thought of something to make up. “Ah--um, no, I don’t. But she once helped us, Ladybug and I. She was really brave. She wasn’t even afraid of coming into close contact with the akuma, who had the power of erasing her from existence.”_ _

__Luka whistled, thoroughly impressed. ‘“Man, that girl’s beyond brave.”_ _

__“Do you like her?” Chat blurted. Quickly, he covered his mouth with his clawed hands, muttering, “Sorry, that’s a personal question.”_ _

__He shrugged, not minding. _What’s the harm? It’s not like I’ll ever see Chat Noir again_. “To be honest,” he started, “I--”_ _

__The trapdoor to Marinette’s room popped open, interrupting him._ _

__Marinette peeked her head in and dropped off a plate of cookies. “Here you go, Chat. Eat these and go home.” She angled her head to find Luka, who was obstructed by a beam running across the ceiling. “Dinner’s starting soon, Luka. In maybe fifteen minutes.” And then she left._ _

__“I guess that’s my cue,” Chat said, pushing the trapdoor open._ _

__“No cookie?” Luka asked, gesturing to the plate with his chin._ _

__“I can’t,” Chat refused, pulling himself up. He leaned his head down and nodded at Luka. “It was nice getting to know you.”_ _

__Luka nodded. “Bye, Chat Noir. Have a safe trip.” Luka descended the ladder and picked up one of the cookies, biting into it. As sweetness overwhelmed his taste buds, he moaned and leaned his head back. “God I love this girl.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hweh hweh

**Author's Note:**

> i rlly enjoy lukanette okay?


End file.
